Combat reports of No. 242 Squadron for 23 July 1940

This Fighter Command Combat Report relates to 23 July 1940. Its formal layout conveys a lot of detail and includes a general report which provides an account of an engagement with enemy aircraft.

The report relates to an inconclusive attack on a Junkers Ju 86 made by Flight Lieutenant George Powell-Shedden. Powell-Shedden survived the Battle of Britain and the war, retiring from the RAF in 1961 as a Group Captain, having been awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Combat reports were official documents detailing operational encounters with enemy aircraft. They convey both the mental strain of operations and the sense of excitement when victory claims were made.